


12 months

by morai_thoughts



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Westeros, Angst, Classes, Coffee Shops, College AU, Dates, Eventual Smut, F/M, Familiar Drama, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I hope this fic works, Modern AU, Parties, Smut, Teacher-Student Relationship, macroeconomy, more to be added - Freeform, some drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:13:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26449084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morai_thoughts/pseuds/morai_thoughts
Summary: Sansa is a University student at King's Landing who just wants to get good grades and get her bachelor's degree as a normal student. A simple life. Work hard, get a job, hang out with her friends. What will happen when she stumbles with a professor on her way to the first class of the semester?
Relationships: Petyr Baelish/Sansa Stark
Comments: 35
Kudos: 46





	1. January

**Author's Note:**

  * For [andinanotherlifetime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/andinanotherlifetime/gifts), [AlayneBaelish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlayneBaelish/gifts).



> Hello and welcome to another story! It's been a while since I haven't written a fluffy story and this idea has been around my mind for a while now (in particular since January of this year xD) so here it is.
> 
> Don't expect fast updates (I'll try my best though) because the start of Uni is almost upon me and I don't know for how long I can keep up. So the only thing I ask of you is PATIENCE (and for me, hehehe) 
> 
> Well, here it goes. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> **WARNING!!: In the second chapter there is a little Non-Con, but it's very small. I'll put the warning when I post it**

#  _January_

It was the first day after the Christmas holidays. Weightless snowflakes dived from the cloudy sky onto the winter scenery, making the return from the holidays a little more bearable for Sansa. 

Just a little bit. Because you see. She was already late for her first class of the semester. 

The redhead sprinted through the aisles, dodging the rushing students crowding the corridors. It seemed as if everyone agreed to be late at the same time. Sansa cursed under her breath. Her current predicament wouldn't have mattered if it were any other class, but Mr. Lannister was very strict when it came to punctuality. 

_‘Shit, he's not even going to let me in.’_

Sansa’s brothers had warned her about Tywin Lannister’s ruthlessness. Only a very small percentage of people succeeded in passing his class every semester. The minimum amount necessary for the dean of the university to be unable to take action on the multiple complaints he received each year. And everyone knew it wasn't just a coincidence. 

The corridor ended in an empty patio covered in snow. A small light of hope lit inside Sansa. The classroom was right about the corner and she still had two minutes left before the class started. Maybe she wouldn’t be late after all. 

Her feet dragged the snow accumulated through the day making the redhead stumble a couple of times. _‘I should have surrounded the courtyard.’_ She lamented. But this way was shorter and her only hope in getting in time. 

Despite her caution the hidden thin ice layer below the snowy patio made her lose her balance as soon as she stepped on the stone hall. Sansa let out a light cry, but instead of falling on cold stone firm hands caught her on the air. Both bodies collapse on the floor. Sansa’s head ended up landing on her new savior's chest, her fists gripping his shirt.

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, are you okay?” She quickly apologized. 

A soft grunt escaped the man’s mouth. His eyes lowered where her hands were laying on his torso. Sansa’s cheek reddened and she was quick to remove them. The strange man sat up slowly and to Sansa's surprise, he pulled her up with him. 

“Were you in a hurry?” He joked. 

“I-I didn’t see you, sorry,” Sansa stuttered.

“Well, that’s obvious.” 

His tie was askew complementing his disheveled hair. The lower part of his coat was covered in melting snow and the redhead’s feeling of embarrassment grew. Sansa's cheek reddened when he noticed her noticing him. Sansa shook her head trying to clear her mind. Her things were scattered across the hall and she was definitely not getting to her class on time. 

“Let me help you.” He offered crouching down and picking up her notebooks. 

“Thank you, but you don’t have to-” 

“There you go.” He placed the books on her hands, brushing her skin in the process, and Sansa felt suddenly very self-conscious. “Those are a lot of books.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Are all of those for the macroeconomics class?” 

“Mr. Lannister hasn’t recommended us any books, so I got as many as I could find.” Sansa tucked a loose red lock behind her ear and pressed her books against her chest. 

The professor sighed and let out a light chuckle. “That old lion, he never changes.” 

“Really?” 

He bit his lip and shook his head. Sansa felt as if the floor beneath her would melt if she stayed there any longer. Unbeknownst to her internal struggle, the professor adjusted his shoulder strap and cleared his throat. 

“Well, I see you’re on the right track Ms…”

“Stark.” 

“Ms. Stark.” The man smirked, “But I’m afraid you’re going to be late if you don’t get going, and between you and me, Mr. Lannister is not a merciful man. Not even for a face as pretty as yours.” 

Sansa froze. “Shit.” 

Quickly, she gathered her stuff and rushed to her class at the end of the hall. _‘No, no, no, no.’_ She finally reached the classroom door, but for some reason her fingers stopped when they touched the doorknob. Should she enter and make a fool of herself the first day of class? What if she just went to the library and asked someone for the class notes tomorrow? 

_‘Wait, did he call me pretty?!?’_

The professor stood in the corridor, amused and intrigued about the redhead’s decision. The girl raised her head and after a few moments of meditation, she turned the doorknob and entered the class.

“See you around Ms. Stark.”


	2. February

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa wants to have some fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't get used to the fast updates. I thought last chapter was too short, so here is another one.
> 
> **WARNING!: there's some non-con this chapter, is very light and it ends very quickly. So don't worry too much, I just wanted to give a heads up**

#  _February_

“Sansa you need to get some. You need to have some fun” Margaery decided, zipping up the white dress. Sansa wanted to fight her friend, tell her she didn’t need to _get some_ to have fun, she could have fun just going out partying with her and the others. “There you go, you’re ready.” The brunette stepped in front of Sansa, “Oh shit.” 

“What 's wrong?”

“We forgot your makeup. How could we forget your makeup?!”

Sansa narrowed her eyes. “It’s fine, I can put it right now-”

“No, you can’t! Absolutely not!” The brunette turned her around and zipped down the dress. “It didn't take us half a century to choose this dress for the lady to stain it before leaving home.”

“It’s not a big deal.” Complained Sansa stepping out of the dress. She would just apply some mascara and lipstick, but Margaery made her sit down in front of her big vanity and laid the ivory dress on the bed. “Don’t pout Sansa.”

“I like that dress.”

“Then do as I say, I want you to look good tonight.”

“I already look good.” The redhead teased. Margaery narrowed her eyes at her and then smirked, “and you’re going to look amazing when I’m finished with you.”

* * *

The strong bass resonated throughout the whole place when they entered. Jeyne and Margaery dragged her to the bar immediately sorting the tumultuous crowd that invaded the dance floor. Both brunettes winked and greeted some of the students they crossed. Sansa didn’t know any of them but she recognised some of them from her classes. 

Margaery told her the club was one of the most popular in town and most of the people from KLU liked to go there. “I can't believe you haven't been to a party in the time you've been here in King’s Landing. We have to fix it.” And that’s how they ended up here. To be fair, it was the first year of Sansa at KLU and she didn’t know anyone the first semester before Christmas, not until she met Margaery. 

“Happy Valentine’s day!” Shouted Jeyne when the barman served them the shots barely a minute after leaning on the bar. The redhead waited until both of her friends gulped their cups to drink it hers. The drink burned her throat but it left a nice warm feeling on her tongue. 

“I kinda miss Myrcella.” Sansa blurted out remembering the blonde girl. 

“That bitch made plans without us!”

“Jeyne!” Marge chided, “she has a date.” 

“It’s Valentine's day and she has a cute date with her vanilla boyfriend. She’s dead for me. That’s called treason.” Sansa chuckled at Jeyne brash words, the girl always knew how to make her laugh regardless of the situation. Who knew those pretty lips could talk like that. 

“You miss her too, just admit it.”

The Tyrell invited them to another round of shots and it did its job effectively. Sansa could feel her head more lightheaded and started to let go a little. Margaery was right, she needed to have some fun and Sansa definitely didn’t look bad. The girl looked at her reflection behind the bar. The smokey eyes and red matte lipstick brought out a version of her she didn’t know she had, hot and dangerous. 

Margaery scanned the room, her eyes looking for trouble. “Girls.” She called, “those boys, on the right. They’re eyeing you from head to toe Sansa, especially the blonde.” The girls looked to their right and Sansa noticed the blonde boy. He was tall and muscular, and didn't do a good job of pretending. He was sure he was used to being chased by girls, only someone like that would have the audacity to observe her so openly.

“I think it’s time to dance.”

* * *

The blonde boy approached her as soon as she started swinging her hips to the beat of the music. The rest of his friends followed and introductions were made. His name was Harry, “I’ve never seen you before around here, are you from campus?.”

Sansa stepped closer to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “That’s because you weren’t looking closely.” 

The crowd closed on them leaving them a small space to stay still. Sansa closed her eyes and let her body go to the beat of the music. She could make this work, she was having a nice night out with her friends and now this cute boy couldn’t stop looking at her. He had a nice smile, full of dimples and white teeth and she felt her cheeks reddening every time their eyes met. She would have swooned for a smile like that when she was a teenager. 

_‘Stop behaving like a little girl.’_

She still doesn't remember very well who was the first to take the initiative, but after dancing close to each other for a while, they kissed. Harry pulled her closer and Sansa held to her biceps. Gosh those biceps, she could swear they were the size of a melon. 

Margaery yelled at her from the other side of the room but she couldn’t understand her. Harry ended the kiss letting her breathe and descended his head to lay kisses along her neck. Sansa averted her gaze gasping for fresh air, the heat in the local and the alcohol weren’t helping. The kiss wasn't bad, she was too drunk to care right now but she preferred if the next time they kissed Harry didn’t try to devour her whole. 

“Let’s go somewhere more private.” He said into her ear. Sansa smiled in a drunkenly stupor and pressed her index finger in his chest. 

“Let me tell my friends first.” That seemed to amused him, but instead of letting her go he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her through the crowd. 

“It’s fine baby, they won’t go anywhere.”

Sansa wanted to break free from him but he squeezed her arm and she whimpered. Harry stopped and his strength made her land on his hard chest. “I’m gonna make you feel good.” 

They ended up in a dark corner of the room right next to the restrooms. The floor felt stickier below her high-heels. His hands instantly went to her hips and started wandering her body, pressing her against him with each stroke. Sansa wrapped her arms around his neck trying to still her body from his assault but he took it as an invitation. His lips were quickly on hers and this time Sansa tried to take charge of the rhythm. Harry teased her lower lips and the girl felt a small flutter igniting below her stomach. His actions became slower, but before her mind managed to melt completely to the kiss she felt how one of his hands lowered and raised her dress. 

“Stop!” She cried biting his lip. 

The boy separated from her bringing his right hand over his mouth. “What’s wrong with you?” 

“I said stop!” But Harry didn’t listen and before she could get away, he grabbed her wrist and twisted it holding her in place before pressing her against the wall. 

“Let me go.” She pleaded. Tears run down her cheek when Harry kept kissing her neck and nip at her flesh. _Stop, stop, stop, stop._

“We were having a great time, weren’t we?” Those pink soft lips now repulsed her. The place felt more stuffy than before and she couldn’t escape. His hands were all over her, grabbing and squeezing. Panic rose from her stomach and she reacted instinctively. Her knee darted forward kicking him in his crotch.

Harry flexed at the waist with a cry of pain finally freeing the redhead and she ran. His big hands tried to follow her, but the redhead was already out of his reach, pushing the emergency door into the night.

* * *

“Come back!” Sansa ran down the alley. Harry followed her out and the only thing on her mind was to run as fast as possible. There was no one outside, only the snow from the last snowfall to listen to her screams. 

There was an open pub at the end of the alley way. If only she could reach it and enter before Harry caught her. Sansa looked back. The athletic blonde was almost on her when she bumped into another body. The man grabbed her by the shoulders stopping her. 

“What’s going on?” 

Sansa’s heart stopped. His voice sounded familiar but her fear dazed mind couldn’t place it.

“It’s none of your business.” Answered Harry stopping a few meters from them. 

“Are you hurt?” The stranger asked her in a softer tone. Sansa averted her gaze, not wanting to look at him or Harry and she nodded. The stranger’s eyes searched hers but then something caught his attention. He lifted her arm gently to the light. 

“What did you do?” The stranger accused the blonde after seeing the purple marks on her wrist.

“Nothing! She’s lying!” Harry yelled, his breath floating over him in the empty alleyway.

“Get away before I call the cops.” The stranger threatened not being intimidated by the tall blonde. 

His words seemed to be enough for the young boy to take a step back. Harry spat on the floor and shrugged, “whatever bitch.” And walked back to the club leaving them alone.

The hold on her shoulders lessened, “Ms. Stark, are you okay?” Sansa finally looked up finding two green eyes staring back at her. 

“You.”

* * *

“Petyr Baelish.” The man extended his hand. Sansa took it, hesitantly closing her fingers around his palm and then quickly dragging her hand back to her side. 

“Thank you.” They sat in a booth inside the pub away from the entrance. A pint and a warm cup of tea rested on the table in front of them. The redhead let out a sigh as she clutched the professor's blazer over her shoulders, keeping the cold at bay. Unfortunately she didn’t consider taking her coat before her untimely escapade from the club. 

“How are you doing?” 

“I’m fine.” She lied, her eyes casting away to the window. Small snowflakes dove in the night joining the white cloak of snow on the street.

The man fisted his hand before taking it back beside his body and grabbed his pint. The dark ale touched his mouth leaving a small white moustache over his upper lip that he quickly cleaned with a swipe of his tongue.

“Do you remember me?” He asked, voice husky.

“I dropped all of your books the first day of the semester.” A small smile appeared on his lips and she reciprocated it thinking about that moment. Gosh, what would she think of her now? What would she do? Tonight she had gotten drunk, a guy almost assaulted her and now she was at a pub with a man she barely knew. The only thing she wanted to do was to cry, but her body in her shock stupor couldn’t even understand that. 

“Are you going to go to the police? I could go with you.”

Dread settled in her stomach. “No, it’s fine. It was nothing.” 

“Are you sure?” Sansa nodded.

“Okay.” he yielded, but the glint in his eyes said otherwise. “If you change your mind, here is my number.” He took a small pen from his pocket and wrote his number in his napkin. Sansa accepted it, inspecting the neat calligraphy. 

The man reached out to take her hand unthreateningly in his, “were you with someone?”

“I was with my friends. We were at a party in the club. I don’t know where they are, I got separated from them…”

“With that fucker.” He completed bitterly.

“Yes.” 

“Is he from campus? Are you sure you don’t want me to go and tell someone-”

“No.” She insisted, squeezing his hand. Baelish’s eyes lowered to their intertwined hands. “Not yet, he didn’t do anything. I didn’t give him the opportunity.” 

* * *

“Sansa!” Shouted Margaery. The redhead’s lips stretched slightly before the brunette launched into her friend’s arms. “What happened? We lost you and we couldn’t see Harry anywhere-”

“I went out to get some fresh air. Harry was a dick.” She added with a tremble, her eyes avoiding eye contact with the Tyrell. However, the girl’s attention was now on the stranger in the dark suit that stood a few steps from Sansa. 

Sansa sensed her friend’s question, “He is Mr. Baelish.” 

“Yes, I know him. He taught me econometrics last year. Hi Mr. Baelish.” 

Baelish nodded in acknowledgement and joined them. “Hello Ms. Tyrell.” Sansa raised her eyebrow in the man’s direction. Their gazes briefly connected before a splashing sound interrupted them. 

“Oh no, Jeyne,” Margaery rushed to her friend's side, who quickly leaned on her shoulder’s support. Sansa grimaced at the vomit spread on the pavement. 

“Hard night.” The man beside her quipped. A small laugh escaped from her lips and soon they were both chuckling. The tension accumulated, her nerves, everything faded away with only two words, and the relief in his eyes told her they were gone for him too. 

His boyish smile made him look younger than his years, but he didn’t appear to be older than forty. _‘It’s the eyes.’_ She realised, his steel green eyes. 

“Thank you.” She said once more, gathering some courage, “thank you for helping me.”

“Don’t worry,” but then his hand reached out to curl and errant wisp of auburn behind her ear. 

“The next time that asshole bothers you call me.” He added softly, speaking only to her. Sansa wanted to tell him she wasn’t a defenseless little girl, that she could protect herself, but the prospect of seeing him again didn’t sound... bad?

“Okay.” They stared at each other for a few seconds, their faces dangerously closer than before. A hundred thoughts passed his mind, but which ones she couldn’t tell. 

“I think your friends are calling you.”

Sansa turned her face and saw Margaery waving begging for help with an almost passed out Jeyne. “Yes, they are.”

“Are you girls.. All right?”

“Yeah, it’s okay we can handle it,” her eyes averted his gaze, “it’s not the first time something like this happens. I hope we’re not bothering you.”

“It’s fine as long as you give me a heads up the next time you crash into me.”

Sansa covered her face, “Oh gosh, sorry about that.”

“You're a good tackler by the way.” 

“Did I hurt you?”

“No.” Petyr shook his head and smiled at the ground. “You’re a dangerous thing, Ms. Stark.”

“Am I?” The smirk in his face grew.

“Yes, more than you know.”

A dark car parked by them and Margaery told her it was their Uber. With a few tumbles Jeyne launched over Sansa, leaving a few microseconds for the redhead to react and catch her friend. The stain she left wouldn’t be easy to remove. _‘Poor Jeyne.’_

Mr. Baelish left giving her a wink after they settled in the car safely, and damned that smile of his, because the only thing she remembered from that night after crawling into her bed was that damned boyish smile. 


	3. March

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> March madness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/4th of the story is finished, yay! I hope you like this new chapter :)

#  _March_

“Hey Sans, what’s up?” Margaery sat down next to her in their kitchen table where the redhead had spread her books to study. The midterms exams were approaching, and Sansa wanted to be ready. 

“Nothing new. I just want to take a nap for the next eight hours, but unfortunately I can’t.”

“You push yourself too hard.” The Tyrell said sipping on her hot chocolate.

The redhead shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Well whatever, I just came here because Harry is being very annoying.” Sansa’s eye twitched at the mention of his name. Margaery laid back on her chair placing her arms behind her head for support. “He won’t stop asking me if you are going to the game tomorrow. I told him to ask you himself, but he complains you haven't talked to him since Valentine’s day.”

Sansa didn’t go into detail with her friend about what happened that night after they left the club. She only told her they argued, and she left, nothing more. The redhead’s skin still crawled whenever she recalled the events of that night, of how vulnerable she felt with him. No, she did not want to go through that again.

“I don’t want to talk to him.”

“Then tell him stop pestering me, gosh. The guy is hot, but it doesn’t give him the right to be this annoying. Why don’t you just talk to him?”

“I don’t want to.” She repeated. _‘Not after what happened. Not after what almost happened.’_

Margaery let out a big sigh falling on the living room’s couch. Luckily, she let the matter about Harry slide for the time being. The redhead went back to her work, but she kept losing her focus. Harry’s name wouldn’t leave her mind and the things that he could have done with her that night if it weren’t for her lucky escape. 

Sansa still saw Mr. Baelish in the university’s halls sometimes. He was always busy, going from class to class with his shoulder strap full of papers and exams. What would it be like talking to him again? He wasn’t even one of her teachers, but if it wasn’t for him, who knows what Harry would have done to her. 

* * *

The alarm blared waking a very sleepy Sansa. Her mind buzzed with a headache this morning. Making breakfast was hard but she figured her discomfort was due to the absence of caffeine in her body. Finally showered and ready, the redhead gathered all her stuff before leaving the dorm. 

A soft red scarf protected her against the treacherous March wind in her short commute for class. Students from all over Westeros invaded the halls of the iconic Red Keep where the university was placed. _“Go dragons!”_ Read the banner outside the class where she headed. The sports _“march madness”_ had definitely arrived and everyone seemed to be living for it. Everyone except Sansa. 

“Sorry, I’m not going to the game.” Said Sansa to some of her friends once she was seated at her desk.

“Why not? you said you would.” Arianne complained. “Jon is playing.”

“I know, but I can’t go to this one.” She couldn’t risk it. If Harry saw her, he would want to pick up where they left off. She was sure her cousin Jon wouldn’t mind if she didn’t go this time. Luckily, Jeyne changed the topic of their conversation distracting Arianne from more inquiring. Sansa sighed, taking out her laptop and opening a new document for today’s lesson. 

The tone of the class dropped abruptly when the door opened signaling the arrival of the teacher. 

Mr. Tywin Lannister entered the room with the same air of superiority as always, but this time he was accompanied by another man. Sansa’s stomach made a flip when those steel eyes glanced at her before roaming all over the class.

 _No way, no way, no way, no way_. The girl took some deep breaths staring at her now very appealing notebook. She was at the end of the class, because all of the good seats down front were already taken when she arrived. A few steps separated her from the exit, from freedom. She could stand up and leave. 

Tywin began talking then, and she knew she couldn’t. She couldn’t get out of the class. _‘Come on Sansa, you need to be in this class. It’s important. You can’t get your diploma if you don’t pass it.’_ She would endure it, even if it meant she would have to deal with Mr. Baelish. 

“Today Mr. Baelish will be helping us with our lecture. He will be passing a notebook to every one of you. It contains all of the information about the individual project each of you will be doing as a final test.” 

A general muttering spread through the big lecture hall. Project? Sansa thought they were doing a big test like in the rest of the classes. One of her peers must have think about the same lines as her, because he immediately raised his hand to ask the question.

Tywin Lannister raised his eyebrow, “so some of you actually listen when I’m talking.” Sansa heard, surprisingly, some laughter, and then the stern teacher began explaining how apart from the official test, this project had the same value and therefore they should not lower their guard. 

“Ahem.” Unbeknownst to Sansa, Mr. Baelish had walked up the stairs right up to her row. He offered her one of the notebooks with a wink, and then turned around while Sansa prayed to the Seven, he hadn’t noticed how flushed she was. 

“As I was saying, once you all have the notebook Mr. Baelish is handing out, we’ll begin the class.” Sansa lowered her gaze opening the notebook. She pressed her lips. All right, if this was what she had to deal with this semester she would. Unfortunately for her, it was Baelish who began teaching the class. Tywin slank back in his seat letting the floor of the lecture hall for the younger professor while he intervened in very specific points about the project.

After one hour of lecture, Sansa was certain she wasn’t the only student who didn’t remember a thing. 

* * *

The stands were full. Arianne pointed to some seats where Jeyne was with Margaery and they immediately joined them, passing through the agitated students waiting for the game to start. Sansa couldn’t believe she was there. She was planning to pick take out and spend the night watching some silly movie, but after today’s lesson… Well, Margaery was right. She fucking needed a break. 

She only hoped Harry didn’t want to talk to her. Her eyes drifted down where the players gathered in a circle listening to their coach. She could see Jon among them and … Harry. The redhead brought her hands to her face taking a deep breath. 

“This was a bad idea.” 

“Oh, come on Sans. Relax. If Harry tries something after the game, we’ll go. I mean, he can’t, he’s down there being a star.” Margaery assured her. 

The referee's whistle sounded signaling the start of the game and the crowd cheered. The first half of the game wasn’t that bad. Arianne and Jeyne manage to distract her from all of her worries talking about gossip and about their new classes. It felt good to be out. It had stopped raining and the smell of wet grass still remained in the air. The crisp March wind made slunk back into her comfy parka that safeguard her from the treacherous weather. Normally she would miss the snow of Winterfell, but today wasn’t one of those days.

Everything was going well, but then…

“Sansa!” A voice called from below. Harry waved a hand from the field.

“Fuck.” She cursed to herself. Harry kept calling her and by now he was starting to catch the attention from a lot of the people. Sansa waved back and forced a smile, wanting the torture to be over as soon as possible. The athlete seemed satisfied and gave her a two-fingered salute before turning around to the bench when the players gathered.

“I need to leave.” 

“What?” 

“I shouldn’t have come, Marge. I can’t.” She said pleading. This was a mistake. She didn’t want to be at the same place as Harry. He had seen her, and Sansa knew he would want to talk to her and maybe retake where they had left off last time. The girl shivered.

“What’s wrong Sansa? I’m starting to worry.” The brunette placed her arms on the Stark’s shoulders giving her a soft squeeze. Sansa wanted to tell her everything, all the things she didn’t have the courage to say in the last month, but she couldn’t do it right now. The place, the crowd, it was all too much. She wanted to get away. 

* * *

Sansa woke up the next morning, very early. She quickly changed and ate breakfast dodging the house furniture and a very passed out Margaery that slept on the living room’s sofa very soundly. 

Soon, she was crossing her dorm’s door for a quick run. It had been weeks since the last time she went for a run after the beginning of her classes, but today she felt like she needed it. It was of utmost importance. She needed to be as away from campus as she could without going too far, so Sansa chose to run in a light jog in the promenade’s direction. 

After some time, she smelt the sea air welcoming like a long-forgotten friend. It was still early, and a lot of the fishing boats were coming back from their incursion at sea. A crosswalk was the only thing that separated her from the promenade now, so Sansa stopped but kept jumping on her seat while she waited for the traffic light to turn green. 

She tried to forget about Harry and everything that happened yesterday. Suddenly all her worries looked so plain. If she could avoid Harry for a semester, and maybe Mr. Baelish, maybe she could get out of Uni alive. Of course, there would be some complications like going to Mr. Lannister’s class where she would surely see Petyr, no, Mr. Baelish again. And she was sure Harry would never find her if she spent all of her free periods at the library. Yeah, it all sounded like a very pretty solid plan so far. 

The traffic light turned green and the redhead stepped forward ready to go back to her running pace once again, when a car ignored the red light and almost ran her over. Her quick reflexes entered in motion and her feet jumped back just in time to avoid the rogue car. Sansa felt her body crash against a warm body that cushioned her fall, but not her ankle. 

“Aaaagh!” Sansa brought her hands to her ankle refraining another pained cry. The person behind her said something, but all her focus was centered on her twisted ankle and how much it hurt. 

“I’m fine. I’m so sorry,” she quickly apologized once more. “I didn’t see the car and I couldn’t-”

“Ms. Stark?” Sansa blinked twice. Tentatively, the girl looked up to see where the voice of the stranger had called her. He spoke with a strange rough accent she remembered hearing before, but only in…

“Mr. Baelish.” The girl jumped back startled once again hurting her ankle further in the process. 

“Don’t move.” He told her. “Wait, let’s go to that bench over there and let me see.” Before she could do anything, Mr. Baelish pulled her up, wrapping her arm on his shoulder for support. A waft of his perfume drifted to her and couldn’t refrain from the thought of how good he smelled. 

Hobbling, they arrived at the bench by the promenade where he insisted once again in checking her ankle. Sansa thanked the old Gods she had been running before the collision, because the exercise would mask how flushed she felt. Oh gosh, what was happening?

First, Mr. Baelish gently removed the sneaker careful not to cause her any further discomfort, and then lowered the sock revealing her pale skin reddened by the accident. 

“Does it hurt?” He asked. 

“A little.” He grabbed her foot and moved it a few degrees, “stop! stop, okay, it hurts more than I thought.” 

“It’s swelling, you need ice.” 

Sansa closed her eyes bringing her hands to her face. Today couldn't get any worse. She only wanted to be alone for a while, some time for her thoughts and some alone to think about how on earth she was going to survive this semester. But, not this! Suddenly the idea of taking the first plane ticket to Mereen and running away from her troubles looked very appealing. 

“I think I can manage to go back to my dorm, it’s not far from here.” Sansa said after some time. She rubbed her neck diverting her gaze to anywhere, anywhere but him. 

She heard him chuckle, “Ms. Stark, you need to stop doing that.” 

“Doing what?” 

“Crashing into me every time you want to see me.” 

“I’m not.” Sansa pressed her lips, “that’s not what I’m doing. I don’t want to see you.”

Mr. Baelish raised his eyebrow, “usually, if two people want to see each other, one of them sends the other a message. You have my number, don’t you?”

“I do, but I think you’re mistaking me.” 

“Really? I at least deserve a heads up if you’re planning to get rid of me before the semester is over.” 

“Excuse me?” But the man chuckled again, and before Sansa could utter another complaint, he moved her foot a few degrees to the other side. 

“Aaaaahhh! You could have given me a heads up you were going to do that.” 

“Are you sure you’re still able to go back on your own?”

“I won’t If you keep doing that on purpose.” She retorted. 

“I was just checking if anything was broken. I used to get injured all the time, so I know some things.”

“Oh.” So, the mysterious professor had a past. She took the opportunity to examine him again. This time, he was dressed casually in a jacket and jeans. Even his hair was disheveled, although this was most likely caused by her bumping into him. For some reason, she found it strange that her teachers had their own lives and dressed casually like normal people instead of being at campus all of the time. 

“It looks fine apart from the swelling, you were lucky. You should go to see a doctor though.”

“Isn’t your expertise enough, Mr. Baelish?” A wide smirk spread on his lips at her playful remark. 

“I wish it was, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.” He then averted his gaze into the sea looking thoughtful for a minute. Sansa was about to thank him and assure him she was fine, when a small purple mark at the base of his neck caught her attention.

“Petyr.” 

Sansa blinked twice emerging from her stupor. “What?”

“Call me Petyr. I think we’ve earned referring to each other informally after all of the times you’ve tried to kill me.” 

This time she was the one who chuckled. Cheeky. He mirrored her and it actually felt good, the sudden pause broke the tension in the air making Sansa feel lighter. The soreness of her ankle was still there though, yelling to be attended as soon as possible. 

“All right, you win. Petyr.” 

“See, that wasn’t so bad.” He then helped her stand up again. Sansa’s ankle gave in once she tried to take the first step but fortunately his chest was there to catch her arms. Her cheeks reddened, “oh… sorry,” 

“You all right?” He asked in a husky voice, wrapping her arm around his shoulder for support. Making them be even closer. 

Sansa couldn’t put into words how uncomfortable she felt, and something told her she was making it very difficult for him too. _‘Sansa pulled yourself together! Stop making a fool of yourself.’_

“I… I think so.” 

He swallowed hard. “Good. Where are we going?” 

Sansa tucked a loose red lock behind her ear ordering her thoughts. “You’re probably quite busy. I can call for an Uber to go back to my dorm.” 

“Ms. Stark…”

“Sansa.”

“Hm?”

“My name is Sansa.” He chuckled and nodded. Sansa didn’t know if it was a trick of the light, but she swore he looked flushed. The mere notion of that possibility sent a warmth shiver through her body. 

“All right, Sansa. I’m sure you’re a very, very independent young woman, but you’ve just sprained your ankle and as the main cause of your predicament I think the right thing to do is to help you. Even if it’s the third time you’ve tried to run me over.” 

Sansa rolled her eyes but ended up accepting his offer. To be fair, his car was only a few meters from the crosswalk where she was almost hit by a car. The redhead did a double take to the dark Lexus Petyr was directing her, and she considered whether the concept of becoming a university teacher might actually not be a bad idea. 

“Before I drop you, would you mind if I grab some breakfast?”

Sansa shrugged. “Sure.”

“Do you want anything?”

“A bag of ice would be nice.” She quipped.

“Very funny.” 

Petyr entered the drive thru and waited for his turn to take his order. Sansa eyed the menu, ignoring how her stomach was complaining about not taking anything before going for a run. She actually didn’t know if she would be able to hold it, considering the number of somersaults her stomach had done in the last ten minutes every time he touched her. 

He ended up actually buying her an ice pack for her ankle and some coffee with two croissants. “Thank you,” She said with a small smile. 

“No worries.” He dismissed with a wave of his hand. Petyr offered one of the paper bags with her breakfast and he placed the bigger one in the back seat. Sansa eyed it, trying to guess the contents and for who it was, considering it was too big for only one person. 

Petyr cleared his throat, looking a bit nervous, “so… where do I drop you?” 

* * *

Sansa spent the rest of the afternoon going around her notes and trying to do the introduction of her macroeconomics project, but all of her thoughts kept drifting to him. She took out her phone and checked her messages. No, why would he text her? She was the one who had his number, not him. Why does everything have to be so complicated? The redhead stood up closing her laptop. She would continue later, at least she hoped so. The midterms exams were around the corner and she couldn’t allow any slip. 

Raindrops hit the glass window while outside the trees danced along the wind. A nice warm cup of coffee sounded like a good idea, so she went to the kitchen to make it. Margaery was out at the library doing some studying, or trying too, after this morning’s hangover. Sansa marveled at the recovery ability her friend had. She would have spent the whole day passed out in her room. 

Sansa took out her phone again. She really, really wanted to send him a message to thank him about this morning. She actually felt better after the ice and some bandaging courtesy of KLU’s hospital. A sprained ankle, as simple as that. One week of rest and she would be as good as new. For some reason she felt as if she was invading his privacy. He actually was the one to insist on giving her his phone number, but only for emergencies or if she changed her mind about not reporting Harry. 

The girl poured her freshly brewed coffee in her favorite mug enjoying the way the smell invaded all the corners of the apartment. 

Maybe she was overthinking it. Sansa took a deep breath. It’s only a message, nothing more. He deserved that from her, a sincere thank you, at least. Her heart started racing when she typed his number selecting the messaging feature. Digits touched the letters on the screen keyboard, and it was done. 

_‘Hi Petyr, it’s Sansa. I just wanted to say thank you for today. I’m much better :)’_

She pressed send and waited. Sansa closed the app and started scrolling through her social media. Time later a notification popped up. 

_‘Hey Sansa :) I'm glad you're doing better. I have to admit, I was a bit worried’_


	4. April [part 1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> april part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter or whatever lol, this story is getting harder to write than I thought.

#  _April [part 1]_

They only exchanged a couple of texts since the day she sprained her ankle. In the next class Mr. Baelish, well Petyr she guessed, approached her with the excuse of explaining one of the project sections to ask her about her foot. 

Nothing had happened. Nothing was going to happen. It couldn't. At least that’s what she told herself every day in class. 

The truth was she hadn’t given it much thought. She knew there was something there, an attraction. An impulse she got every time he entered the room. It was the way her eyes followed him around the lecture hall, the way he rolled his sleeves when he had to explain the same concept over and over again until he was certain everyone understood. 

One day during office hours, she noticed the absence of a wedding ring on his hands. Sansa had wondered, with remorse, if that big bag he ordered in the drive-thru had been for someone else. Maybe he was divorced, he had a kid, or was simply buying breakfast for his partner. Sansa shook her head, not wanting to keep wondering about the personal life of a teacher. 

A windy and rainy March gave way to a very rainy April. Midterms were over. Torrents of water flowed down the hillsides of the campus where students used to lay in the sun.

There were limited recreational options close to campus, so in order to properly celebrate the ending of exams, Margaery brought them downtown to a very busy pub that had been the talk of the town. 

“We should try the Margaritas. NO! We have to.” The brunette insisted excitedly. Sansa laughed and agreed watching her friend amusingly. 

“No way! It’s that a trick of the light?” Arianne exclaimed. 

Their eyes turned to the entrance of the crowded bar to see none other than Myrcella Baratheon trying to make way toward their table. She was wearing a dark hoodie and her blonde hair was curlier than usual due to the rain. Sansa greeted her with a hug, “how are you holding up?” 

“I’m better.” The girl let herself drop on the seat beside the redhead, “I really need a drink.”

“Perfect,” Tyrell clapped her hands, “we were just about to go for margaritas. Let’s go Sansa, come with me.” 

“What?” Margaery rolled her eyes and tugged the confused girl’s arm until she relented. Arianne and Myrcella watched them leave perplexed. 

“Come on, you’re going to ruin it.” She whispered harshly once they were some steps from the table. 

“What’s going on?” Sansa yanked her arm back, breaking free from Marge’s grip. “You hurt me a little.” 

“I’m sorry Sansa, but…” Margaery looked back to the table where the pair was talking now closer than they were a moment before. “They need some space.” 

“Wait.” She narrowed her eyes in deep thought before they widened like saucers, “no way! You mean… The whole mess with Trystane?”

“Yep, it’s over.” Margaery pushed her way to the bar and ordered four Margaritas and a round of shots. “The shots are on me, I figured we are going to need them.”

Jeyne joined them back in the apartment once she got out of work. With two bottles of gin and some more gossip to share. Sansa’s northern genes allowed her to have a higher resistance to alcohol than anyone would consider safe, but that doesn’t mean she felt fine after their last pint. 

She was persuaded to play a drinking game, and then another, and after a very drunk couple of hours, she felt like the atmosphere started to dim. At one point Arianne called it a night, and Myrcella followed her to the guests' room, which in this case was Margaery’s bedroom. Sansa shot her friend a glance. The Tyrell shrugged and then stood up, “change the sheets when you’re done!”

Arianne turned back giving them the middle finger before disappearing through the door.

“You know what?” Sansa said, taking another sip of water, “good for them, I couldn’t stand Trystane.” 

“No kidding.” Margaery stretched her arms to the ceiling and then let herself drop on the floor. “It was taking her too much time to realize.” 

“Ssssssssh.” Jeyne said and then giggled.

“What’s wrong with you now?” 

“Me?” A very drunk Jeyne huffed, “what’s wrong with you?” 

“All right, that’s enough I think it’s time to tidy up.” Margaery stood up and glared at Jeyne who didn’t want to call it a night. “I need to sleep!” 

“Why? It’s not like you have anything to do tomorrow.”

“Well…” Margaery rubbed the back of her neck and averted her eyes, “I have a job interview, but it’s something temporary. It’s something my grandmother insisted on.” the girl waved a hand. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” 

“Wow Marge, I had no idea.” Sansa stood up, as fast as her foggy mind let her, and started helping her friend. “You really needed a night out, didn’t you?” 

“It’s just that since Loras moved and he’s going around with his  _ ‘band’ _ all of the family pressure has come down to me.” Margaery explained, “So yeah, tonight was fun.” 

It took them a while to pick up everything and leave the living room in the same state they found it. Sansa took out her phone to set the alarm and cringed,  _ ‘the alarm will sound in 2 hours and 54 minutes’  _

“Are you sure about the job interview?” The redhead asked in a low whisper. Jeyne was passed out on the sofa. Sansa covered her friend with the first blanket she found and beckoned Margaery to the kitchen. 

“I don’t know, to be honest. I don’t have to do it, but it’s like it’s expected of me, you know? I couldn’t say no.” 

“But, you could, right?” 

Margaery shook her head, “have you ever met my grandmother?” 

Sansa didn’t answer and her friend quickly continued. “It's the shrewdest and most ruthless businesswoman this side of the Narrow sea. If she sets her eyes in something she wants, she’s going to get it. Sooner, later, it doesn’t matter. She has taken care of me for as long as I can remember. Never asked anything from me. Never pressured me into doing anything I didn’t want.”

“Last week she called to ask me a favor. An interview for her company. Only one. I couldn’t say no, Sansa. A twisted part of me thinks she’s been planning this for years and years, letting me and Loras in a long leash, so long Loras  _ ‘managed’ _ to break free and now I’m her only way to continue her legacy, or whatever.” 

“That’s so messed up, but I get it. My dad wanted Robb to take his place in the clinic when he finished his studies.” Sansa placed a hand on the brunette’s shoulder for comfort. “If you need to go out to clear your mind and have a good night like this you can always count on me.” 

Margaery gave her a small, but honest smile, “thank you Sans, it means a lot.” 

  
***

Doughnuts and coffee. The perfect greasy and warm combination to cure a hangover. Or at least mask the awful feeling it left behind with carbohydrates and strong caffeine. 

“I love you Sans.” Said Jeyne before taking a big bite out of the sweet pastry. 

“I know.” She answered with a cheeky grin. 

The rain has stopped outside but the clouds still hovered threateningly above the bay. She thought about taking her camera and went to the promenade to take some pictures. One of the main reasons why Sansa chose to study at King’s Landing was the sea and how different it was from Winterfell. 

_ Winterfell _ . She should call her parents, maybe later. 

The sound of Jeyne placing her cup on the kitchen table brought her out of her reverie. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” The girl looked around the apartment, looking nervous all of the sudden. “How is the project going?”

The question surprised her a little bit, but she guessed it was normal considering how important the class was for Jeyne as well. “Fine, I guess. I finished the introduction. There are a couple of sections that are proving to be more difficult than I thought, I might ask Mr. Baelish about it.” 

Jeyne nodded averting her eyes down to her cup. “Yeah, about that. Haven’t you noticed how he pays attention to you? I mean, during office hours he always listens to you and it’s like, he's more attentive… you know.”

Sansa shrugged, playing it cool, ignoring how her heart raced for some reason. “I guess it's because I find it difficult to follow the classes and I have a ton of questions.”

“No, it’s… I don’t know, weird?”

“You are weird, Jeyne.” The redhead stole Jeyne’s last pastry and ran away from the kitchen before the girl could do something about it. 

“Hey! That's mine.”

Sansa gave her a winning smile and took a big bite from her prize. “I’m going to take some pictures, do you want to come?” She added changing the topic. Today was one of her first free days in a long while and Sansa didn’t want to waste it.

“Sansa, you know I would totally go, but my head is killing me,” Jeyne complained letting herself fall on the sofa. She immediately curled in the first blanket she found and pretended to be asleep. 

Sansa huffed.  _ ‘Typical’ _ .

“Netflix and chill then?”

“Netflix and chill,” Jeyne confirmed turning on the TV and stopping at the first reality show that came up. 

  
***  
  


The sun appeared right before noon, gifting the young Stark with many beautiful pictures to capture with her camera. She guessed that with a little bit of editing she could post some very cool photos on her social media later in the day. 

Despite the sun, the wind kept blowing relentlessly. Deciding to end her struggle, Sansa entered the first coffee shop she found in the promenade. Rush hour had come and gone, so the place wasn’t too crowded.

Sansa rubbed her hands together trying to give some warmth to her numb limbs and scanned the room quickly. She found the small queue and quickly positioned herself behind the last person waiting. 

The line moved slowly. Despite being only a few meters away from the menu, Sansa could not make out what was written in the small print on the banner. The girl narrowed her eyes in concentration. There was a special section for teas, so she guessed she could order that. Tea is always a good option. 

The bell above the shop door chimed. Sansa looked back at the newcomers and froze.

“Good to see you, Ms. Stark.” A known voice greeted her surprised. And there it was again, that boyish smirk greeting her with dimples and everything. Sansa felt her cheeks heat up.

“Oh. Hi, Professor Baelish.”

The professor wore a grey long coat and his cheeks were flushed due to the wind. He casually undid the dark emerald scarf around his neck flashing her another smile. Baelish stepped behind her waiting for his turn in the line and nodded toward the camera in her hands. 

“Lovely day to take pictures.” 

Sansa looked down to her camera, her fingers fiddling with the protection lid of the lens. “Yeah, the light it’s great and this part of the bay is beautiful. It would be perfect if there wasn't so much wind.”

Baelish nodded. They both moved when the line advanced. “Do you usually come here?” He asked casually looking around the little coffee shop. 

Sansa looked down, tucking an errant auburn hair behind her ear. “Not really, I like the promenade though. I like the sea. I thought I'd go for a walk and ended up here by chance.” 

It had been a recurrent thing during her stay at King’s Landing. Something about the sea called her, and she used to spend a lot of time walking down the promenade until reaching the marina. Sansa had grown up in Winterfell, surrounded by forest and cold dark tundra. The first time she saw the endless blue and silver waves spread all the way to the horizon, she felt at home for some reason. 

“That's good. Being inside surrounded by books at campus is not very healthy in the long run.” He joked. 

“Well, I wouldn’t be if it weren’t for that project of yours.” She retorted feeling bolder than usual. 

_ “Touché. _ ”

They took their orders and ventured outside despite the unforgiving wind. Sansa thanked her decision to wear her long coat before going out this morning. She held the cup with both hands using the residual heat to keep her warm while they strolled by the tan cobblestones. 

Mr. Baelish cleared his throat. “I understand the project could be overwhelming at times, but if you have any problem with it or you get stuck in one section don’t hesitate in sending me an email. Gosh, I wouldn’t blame you if you end up at my office trying to knock down the door.” 

Sansa chuckled. “I know you’re joking, but I’ll take you up on that offer. Just in case.” 

“Please do.” He then took a sip of his latte, “it’s been a while since you came to office hours.”

“Midterms kept me busy.” She explained trying not to overthink those last words.

“Oh right, I forgot. It surprised me to enjoy so many quiet afternoons without loud undergrads crowding my office.” 

“It’s a relief we didn’t have a midterm for macroeconomics. More time to study and organize.” Her mind went back to the endless nights of studying and the lack of sleep. The fact that it could have been worse didn’t make her feel better.

“You’re an econ undergrad? Right?” 

“Double major of poli sci and law.” She corrected.

Mr. Baelish whistled in awed. “That sounds tough.” 

“Sometimes.” Sansa shrugged and looked at him finding his raised eyebrow. “What?” 

“That’s a lot of classes.” 

“It’s fine, although sometimes it’s not bad to disconnect.” She said, turning her gaze to the sea. They spent time in silence, just walking and listening to the waves crash against the rocks. Further away in the port, boats arrived from their morning sail.

“Mr. Bealish, please be honest.” She said breaking the silence. 

“Hmm?” 

Sansa turned to him, “Are you following me?”

He chuckled while taking another sip of his hot drink. “I could say the same thing, Ms. Stark. At least this time you haven't run over me.”

“True.” 

“I like coming here to walk. Unlike you, I normally go to the coffee shop and enjoy my first drink strolling and admiring the view. I find the promenade this time of year quite-”

“peaceful?” She helped. 

“Peaceful, yeah. That’s the perfect word for it.” 

They kept walking challenging the unforgiving wind that kept blowing from the sea. The conversation had reached a pause, but she could tell from the corner of her eye Baelish didn’t make any gesture of feeling bothered by it. 

Sansa took a deep breath and held it feeling a bit conscious of herself. She wasn’t crossing any boundaries, being outside of campus chatting with a teacher wasn’t something wrong. She guessed she only needed to play it cool, right? He was just another human living his life like anybody else. 

At one point Sansa stopped and took out her camera finding a perfect spot for another photo of the bay. Baelish paused as well, giving her the space she needed, and stood studying her closely from afar.

Several pictures later they resumed their walk making small talk. She showed him the photos she took and felt a flutter in her stomach when he praised her for how good they look. 

“Sansa, may I ask you a question?” He asked, his face turning serious all of the sudden. 

She nodded, averting her gaze to the sea. 

“What happened with Harry? Did you tell someone about what he did?”

Sansa continued walking, not paying attention to him. 

“I didn’t.” 

Silence.

“Why?”

A million excuses ran through her mind, but in the end, she thought it best to be honest. Mr. Baelish was the only person who knew about Harry, and if there was anyone who deserved to know the truth, it was him.

“They would not believe me.”

Mr. Baelish’s eyes widened. “That’s not true, you have to say something. I could help you.”

Sansa’s body tensed, “Harry is one of the most popular athletes on campus. He’s practically a hero for the university, do you really think they’ll take the word of a girl nobody cares about against his. I’ll be a joke.”

It hurt to say it, but it was the truth. 

Baelish did not seem convinced and continued, “things won’t change if you don’t say anything, it may even get worse.” 

“I appreciate your concern but I can take care of myself. And besides, after that day Harry has left me alone. Nothing has happened.” Sort of, she thought going back to that day during the game. 

Listening to the change in Sansa’s demeanor, the teacher reluctantly dropped the subject. Sansa wanted to say something more. She felt powerless trying to explain all of her reasons. 

Before he could retort the ringtone of her mobile phone interrupted them. “I’m sorry, I should get this.” She apologized looking at Margaery’s number on the screen.” 

“Sansa! I wanted to tell you first,” Her friend squealed, “I got the job! We have to celebrate it. I’ll send you my location and we can have lunch together.”

“Great.” Sansa agreed, hanging up the call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading until the end. I know these past weeks have been rough concerning this fandom, but I'll try to do my best in bringing you all the stories I want to tell. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and I'll appreciate any kind of feedback :)


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